Etienne (The Shifters of Shotgun Row Book 1)(45)

“And you bit me. I didn’t expect that, I mean I hoped, but figured it would take time before you were ready.”

I put our dinner and her clothes on the nearest flat surface.

“I’ve got a lot more things you won’t expect. Wanna see?”

Tansy was going to wear me out in the best way possible.

***

“What kind of monster have you let in here?” Justice was staring at my truck with the others around him like there was a bloody accident in front of them and they just couldn’t look away.

“It’s grotesque.” That was probably the biggest word I’d ever heard Lazare say.

“Where did she get the idea that it was okay? Did you tell her this kind of behavior was okay? I mean, we are a crew of rowdy, misbehaving, manly beasts. We are a damned motley crew. Just look at it.”

The target of their absolute disgust was a pair of pink fuzzy dice hanging from my rearview mirror. Even from outside the truck, I smelled the strawberry-like scent coming off them. Tansy must’ve thought my truck stank. It probably did.

“It’s just pair of dice. Grow up, boys.” Tansy came up behind me and rounded her arms around my waist, splaying her hands across my stomach.

“I see we have a new crew member. Welcome, Tansy.”

Everyone turned around, not knowing yet what Callum was referring to. I hadn’t seen what she was wearing this morning; all I knew was I left her panting and naked in the shower. She must’ve been wearing something that showed her shoulder. Good girl. Let them all see it.

“We’re not really crew. We are just here in the same fucking vicinity. That’s it.” Loic was a little stoic this morning.

Justice cleared his throat. “I call bullshit. We take care of each other. We are here together. We are crew, and she’s one of us.”

My new bond was strong with Tansy since the marking and mating. The strength of her pride and honor in what Justice said was thick in the air.

“Thank you. Anybody want breakfast?”

Lazare poked Loic in the ribs. “I knew I liked her.”

I smiled and patted her hands on my stomach. It didn’t matter to me if the mix of renegades liked her or not. She was my mate regardless.

But it sure as hell helped a lot.

“Nice mark,” I said after turning around to place a soft kiss on her bite. It would still be tender as she wouldn’t heal as fast as us.

“Thanks. This amazing man gave it to me. I’m fucking-in love with him.”

I gasped. “You said fuck. What happened to my sweet-mouthed woman?”

She shrugged. “I’ve heard that you like my dirty mouth better. Anyway, it makes me fit in around here.”

I kissed her nose and pulled her toward the house where my crew was already banging pots and pans around.

“They are making a ruckus.”

“You fit with me, Mate.”

I fit with you.





Tansy

“King-nuts,” I announced as I walked into the station.

Janis beamed, and I swore she drooled just the tiniest of bits. “Your man ain’t here, but I’d be happy to divest you of those balls of heaven in your hand.”

“Well stinks. I thought he’d be ready for lunch. He on a call?” I knew where he was and that he’d be back soon, but I needed the cover. I wanted some alone time with Bruno’s dead guy. The more I thought about our interactions, the more I realized something was off about him.

Bruno was an asshat. He might even be a killer, but the ghost seemed to want me away from him more than to get back at him, and that just didn’t feel right. Shouldn’t he be wanting justice? Maybe I watched too many movies.

“Yeah. He should be back soon, though. You can wait, iffin’ you want. Some kids at the high school got into a brawl, and he needed to scare the tar out of ’em is all.”

“I’ll just leave these by the coffeepot, then.” I winked at her before placing them by the half-drained pot of sludge. How they drank that stuff when it was cheap enough to get a decent pot with decent beans was beyond me. I shuddered at the thought of pouring myself a cup and grabbed a pop, or, as they called it, Coke from the mini-fridge, dropping a buck in the jar.

“Hot damn, woman, were those really for all of us?” Janis poured herself a cup of said sludge as I popped my top and took a long swig before nodding my head in reply. “Etienne is a lucky man.”

She grabbed a king-nut, and I moseyed over to the seats in the waiting area, hoping Bruno was in, bringing his ghost with him. It didn’t take long for him to appear.

“You’re here.” I held up my pop to cover my moving lips as I spoke. I probably looked like I was kissing the can but whatever, it was better than looking like I had an imaginary friend. Good. “After that night, I haven’t seen you, and I want to help you.” And pump him for information, but something in my gut said to tread lightly.

“Tansy,” Bruno’s voice snapped, and even I could feel the power in it. Maybe it was because I’d been practically living with a bunch of shifters, or maybe he was that powerful. Either which way, it left me frozen. “My office. Etienne is going to be here in five, so please hurry it up.” It was a command, and my damn body felt compelled to obey. What the heck? Had the boys been holding back on me? Was I always at their mercy?